La Perla Beach Resort, Zanzibar - Your Beachfront Private Haven

While the resort's setting and beaches were undoubtedly picturesque, our stay was marred by several inconsistencies in service and amenities. We were pleased to encounter a staff member, Oathman. He provided exceptional service with a smile and a positive attitude. He is truly the star of La Perla - nothing was an issue and everything was answered with ‘you are welcome’. However, we experienced some issues with billing, specifically regarding the city tax, which was incorrectly quoted as $10 instead of the gazetted $5 per person per night. Although the issue was eventually conceded by the manager, it was an unnecessary inconvenience and felt off. The breakfast offerings were disappointing, with limited options and small portion sizes. The introduction of unconventional dishes, such as spaghetti pomodoro with chilli powder, was not well-received.. There are many better options for meals both up and down the beach in walking distance. Furthermore, our room was not serviced regularly, requiring multiple requests for attention. Given the resort's luxury positioning, we expected a higher level of service. I presume the rooms are newly built, so they have a consistent wet cement smell, unless you leave doors open all day. The property's infrastructure also showed signs of rushed completion, with exposed electrical fittings and broken furniture by the pool. These issues detracted from our overall experience and led us to decide not to return. There is a lot more, but let’s just end it here. We hope that the ‘resort’ will take our feedback constructively and address these areas for improvement. Asanti Sana Zanzibar.

It was Quiet and more private. Food was good. Had the pool to ourselves and beach was never crowded.

This small boutique hotel is a real gem! It offers the perfect wind-down location in Zanzibar, after a busy safari tour in the Serengeti. The hotel is quiet and rooms are tastefully decorated, based around a super-king size bed that provides a really satisfying sleep. The food is top quality, with specials and catch of the day that include succulent tuna stakes and prawns. We were big fans of the Zanzibar Beef Curry and Prawns in Coconut Sauce - they were so moreish that the guys in the hotel restaurant (Kuraiba and Betha) have given us the recipe to use at home !!! The gardens are well-kept and the beach is right by the open air restaurant with loungers on the sand under shady palm-thatch parasols. The staff are all really friendly and help to make guests feel “part of the family”. All in all our stay at La Perla was very relaxing and we would happily recommend it to anyone anytime as a place to relax in Zanzibar.